Swoon with me over these rose cardamom shortbread cookies! Gentle rose petals and crushed cardamom pair come together like a match made in heaven in our perfect crumb shortbread cookies. With a soft pink rose water glaze, they may just be your valentine this year.
We have family visiting and finally visited Nizwa. I swear the streets of Nizwa smell like Cardamom! With valentines day right around the corner, I was inspired to make some cookies that highlighted the gorgeous scents and flavors I’m encapsulated by here in Oman. A recipe for keepsake, to hold dear to my heart for years to come.
I dare anyone who “doesn’t enjoy rose” in recipes to try these cookies! The rose is so delicate and well balanced between the spice and slightly salty buttery crumb of the shortbread.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Our shortbread recipe is tried and true, perfect for rolling out and cutting shapes. It doesn’t spread or require chilling. Though it’s not discouraged. It just won’t improve the cookies in anyway. Trust me, I’ve made these more than you want to know.
- The flavor is unique, impress your loved ones with something new and special.
- It uses rose water and crushed rose petals for flavor and specks. The rose petals can absolutely be omitted, but keep the rose water for it’s delicate flavor.
- Even those who “don’t enjoy rose” flavor like this cookie!
Ingredients you’ll need:
cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened (salted) (225 grams)
- ½ cup icing / powdered sugar (60 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup corn starch (68 grams)
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
- 1 tablespoon dried organic rose petals
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon rose water*
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla extract or the beans of 1 vanilla bean pod
Rose water icing:
- 1 cup icing sugar (125 grams)
- 1 teaspoon dried cardamom
- 1 tablespoon rose water*
- 1/4 cup milk (4 tablespoons, 57 grams)
- Pink or red food coloring – as much as you’d like to get your desired color. We used one drop of pink. (optional)
Note about rose water + rose petals: You can find rose water at online, or at most large grocery stores in the beverage isle. You can even make rose water at home with our recipe. You can use dried organic roses from your garden (read my guide on sourcing edible flowers for your baked goods) or online. Here in Oman I get them directly from the grocery store or souk.
How to make them:
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 176 C.
- Start by making a rose cardamom sugar, where all of your flavor will come from. Do this by grinding up your granulated sugar, rose petals and cardamom together. I use a mortar and pestle, but a food processor or blender works great too. Add your powdered sugar and mix.
- Cream butter with your rose cardamom sugar until well incorporated and fluffy.
- Sift in the flour and corn starch and gradually mix.
- Add in your rose water
- You will need to get your hands dirty and really mix well to incorporate all of the butter into the flour. Work it with your hands until the dough becomes a ball. At this point, you can chill the dough if you’re not ready to bake, but it’s not necessary with this dough.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/3 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. I used an embossed rolling pin for the texture and heart cookie cutter.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Longer if you want them golden brown and more crisp (my personal preference) But they should be done and have a nice crumb, and still be pale at 12 minutes if your oven temperature is correct. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
- Let them cool completely and make your icing.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until it has a smooth and runny consistency. If it needs to be thinned more, add a few more drops of milk.
Paint the icing onto your cookies after they have cooled.
Frequently asked questions:
Should you sift flour when making shortbread?
We recommend sifting flour for all baked goods to break up any clumps. It’s especially a good idea in this in a recipe like this that has such few ingredients. However, you can skip this step if you don’t have a sifter.
Why is my shortbread too soft?
Shortbread contains a high amount of butter, so if you find your shortbread too soft, make sure you’ve chilled your dough before baking. This will allow the butter to harden up a bit. It’s also always a good idea to measure ingredients by weight to ensure you have the correct amount of flour to butter ratio.
Do I need to poke holes in my shortbread with a fork?
Forking shortbread is not necessary, but it prevents the butter from bubbling. This shortbread recipe does not require forking.
How should I store shortbread cookies?
Because shortbreads have a high fat content, they must be handled carefully to prevent crumbling. To store, arrange your cookies in a single layer, adding a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers.
How long will shortbread last?
Shortbread cookies keep longer than most other cookies, making them perfect for edible gifts or when you need to make something ahead. They even taste better the next day or two after you bake them! They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to three months.
Where can I find rose water or rose petals for this recipe?
You can find rose water at online, or at most large grocery stores in the beverage isle. You can even make rose water at home with our recipe.
Our tips for perfect shortbread:
- Choose high quality butter: with so few ingredients, choosing quality butter is important.
- Measure ingredients properly: I know not every home baker is going to want to weigh their ingredients. I blogged for years before even considering it! But, now that I weigh my ingredients, I never make a recipe without grams because just a little too much or too little of any one ingredient can really throw off a recipe. And if I’m going through all the trouble to bake, I want to make sure it comes out just as I expected. Here is a great kitchen scale I recommend. If you don’t use a kitchen scale, spoon and level your flour for increased likelihood of accuracy.
- Chill before baking…sometimes: This recipe has very specific ratios with less butter so that it doesn’t bubble and spread, in my experience the dough usually doesn’t have to be chilled before baking. However, if I’ve over-handled it or kept it out too long, it still will become very soft and difficult to manage while rolling or cutting shapes. If your shortbread feels too soft, no need to worry. Just pop in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, or until you’re ready to bake.
- Bake until golden: Despite the recommended baking time, it’s best to let the shortbread get slightly golden before removing it from the oven. This ensures they are fully crisp and will continue to harden as they chill for easy handling.
Rose Petal Cardamom Shortbread
Ingredients
- Cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened salted (225 grams)
- ½ cup icing / powdered sugar 60 grams
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup corn starch 68 grams
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour 260 grams
- 1 tablespoon dried organic rose petals
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or the beans of 1 vanilla bean pod
- Rose water icing:
- 1 cup icing sugar 125 grams
- 1 teaspoon dried cardamom
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- ¼ cup milk 4 tablespoons, 57 grams
- Pink food coloring optional
Instructions
Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 176 C
- Start by making a rose cardamom sugar, where all of your flavor will come from. Do this by grinding up your granulated sugar, rose petals and cardamom together. I use a mortar and pestle, but a food processor or blender works great too. Add your powdered sugar and mix
- Cream butter with your rose cardamom sugar until well incorporated and fluffy.
Sift in the flour and corn starch and gradually mix - Add in your rose water
- You will need to get your hands dirty and really mix well to incorporate all of the butter into the flour. Work it with your hands until the dough becomes a ball. At this point, you can chill the dough if you're not ready to bake, but it's not necessary with this dough
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/3 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. I used an embossed rolling pin for the texture and heart cookie cutter
- Bake for 12 minutes. Longer if you want them golden brown and more crisp (my personal preference) But they should be done and have a nice crumb, and still be pale at 12 minutes if your oven temperature is correct
- Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
Let them cool completely and make your icing
Icing:
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl until it has a smooth and runny consistency. If it needs to be thinned more, add a few more drops of milk.
- Paint the icing onto your cookies after they have cooled.
Notes
Because shortbreads have a high fat content, they must be handled carefully to prevent crumbling. To store, arrange your cookies in a single layer, adding a piece of parchment or waxed paper between layers. How long will shortbread last?
Shortbread cookies keep longer than most other cookies, making them perfect for edible gifts or when you need to make something ahead. They even taste better the next day or two after you bake them! They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to three months. Where can I find organic rose petals? I have an entire post dedicated to sourcing organic flowers for your baked goods, you can also find them on amazon, we often use this brand.